The Pennant
The Pennant (or G-SEC designation P Class Personnel) are genetically engineered super soldiers that are created to mitigate Metahuman Sect technological superiority on combat engagements. Description The Pennant are created by The Pennance Program for G-SEC after Cedric Carlsson's successful extraction of potential Metahuman interest, Doctor Jensen. The Penance Program is based on biochemical and nanotechnological enhancements of adolescent subjects, modifying their blood and vital organ tissues with nanotechnology to allow them to heal wounds on combat or contaminate enemy combatants to neutralise them. Mechanics Subjects have been chosen for the program are required to have stable endocrine systems. Lack there of causes practically simple nano-machinery to attack the hosts body tissue and effective killing the host. This makes prepubescent or pubescent subjects a potential failure for the experiment. Suitable host is transfused with the nano-machinery and the so called "HIVE", a central control system for the nano-machines, on the abdominal cavity. Further modifications on the gastrointestinal system that is based on tubular systems are placed on the stomach and the predefined places on the small intestines of the subject, which will allow ingestion of foreign organic tissue to be turned into the originally transfused nano-machinery. Further implants on the brain's reward centers are done and programmed to trigger when the potential Pennant is in combat to encourage cannibalism of the both fallen and still alive enemy, and to remove restriction of violence and inherited distaste for human flesh. Perception and interpretation of any kind of pain is replaced by pleasure as well. These implants are also complemented by hypnotherapy and along with other mental conditioning during training. Other orthopedic surgeries are done to the subject to allow stronger and wider jaws to increase combat effectiveness. An intended secondary effect of the nano-machine infused blood is to when is in contact with the hosts skin, the pores will enlarge, allowing absorption of particulates or liquids to pass into the blood stream to be processed by the nano machinery. This allows foreign blood to be absorbed into the host and to be processed near instantaneously into new nano machines to supplement the hosts supply. After a successful procedure, the hosts vital organs except gastrointestinal, circulatory and nervous systems will be broken down and converted to the nano machinery, as they are no longer necessary for the subject. For the training purposes, the Pennant is not sedated, but allowed to feel the decimation of their own organs and to test if the pain is replaced by pleasure. The subjects who have not achieved this state is immediately terminated due to pain playing a central role on the Pennant related lifecycles and operations. Since the nano-technology utilized in this is not perfect, the Pennant when alive and without any cannibalistic sustenance, the nano-machines will convert the hosts body tissue, prioritizing skin first, then muscles and prioritizing the brain as a last resort. This effectively cuts down the lifespan of the subject to a maximum of five years after the initial process of admission. A constant supply of fresh cadaver or blood packs are required daily to be given to the subject if not on a combat mission, If they are on a combat mission however, they are to be deprived of any supply to increase combat effectiveness. Overall, the Pennant when truly without any garment looks bald, due to the head implants and are often containing tattoos of passages from the bible on their scalp that is shaved everyday. Enlarged pores and damaged to the skin causes both sub-dermal and dermal growth of leaky nano-machinery infused blood that can burst sometimes unintentionally. Entire area below the upper jaw is surgically modified and enlarged, and containing dentures that is like a sharks dental structures. Due to their practice of self mutilation, flesh that is not containing the previously mentioned growths are covered with cuts of different tools, and scar tissue. A common practice is to cover the wounds with tattoos of the passages from bible. Their genitalia is removed during the initial procedure to prove their commitment to the cause and refraining from any other pleasure rather than pain. In Training The Pennant are trained daily to create a perfect and fortified mind to be unleashed on the enemy with near perfect accuracy. This is done by making the Pennant a focus in the routine religious sermons in G-SEC as the chosen, and making them believe that they are the frontiers in a war against the Antichrist and his followers, which is partially true. Many operatives of G-SEC believes this and also many volunteers to become a Pennant. The Pennant is instructed cut themselves using self flagellation tools with razor like ends on daily basis, allowing them to bleed, and to be healed daily for the brain to further adjust to the shift that is programmed during the initial procedure. Justification for this self mutilation is that they have now become an abomination in the eyes of God, and by spilling their own blood, they are retaining what is the remainder of their humanity, and to punish themselves for atrocities that they have committed or will commit on the line of duty. After each successful mission, the Pennant will be awarded with a nail to let them hammer into them selves, signifying that they are following the path of Christ during crucification. This is done to denote the rank of the Pennant among their own team. The area of choice is generally the forearm or the back where is most visible to enemy and the team behind them. The nano machine infused tissue will contain most of the metal nail inside and outside of the body only leaving just enough exposed part to be visible. In combat, these nails can be used as a melee weapon to attack enemies on close quarters to infect them. Primary focus of the Pennants combat training along with mental conditioning is melee and unarmed combat focusing on takedowns and customized hand to hand techniques of instantaneously killing the enemy combatants using modified jaws or enhanced strength to immobilize to break unreinforced bone structure of their victims unlike their own. The Pennant are instructed to shoot for paralysis of the combatants if not armored, and if armored, instantly killing and stripping the armor using melee weaponry for access to the flesh required for sustenance. In Combat The Pennant are vanguard type of soldiers are present on the front lines of battlefield or the line of operation. The nature of their blood is toxic to any organism that does not carry the Pennant nano-machinery or not inoculated by the Pennant Vaccine that makes the nano-machines dormant on the foreign blood stream. Every G-SEC operative that is not a Pennant is obligated by the agency to be vaccinated in order to prevent casualties of friendly operatives. The Pennant typically carry melee weaponry along with short range submachine guns on operations. Marksman, support or other designations are not given since they require fallen enemy instantly if a critical damage have been endured by them. Combat apparel for the Pennant are simple cloth garments for the body and maximum armor for the head, since it is the only effective way of destroying a Pennant. Cloth garments are chosen for the purpose of easy access to the Pennants own flesh during combat for infectivity purposes. It is observed by non Pennant operatives however, the Pennant often will opt to remove any garment, even head protection on near death situations. The Pennant will repeatedly cut them selves on combat if not critical damaged or in a state of healing to coat themselves in their own blood to increase infectivity. If the Pennant is in direct contact of a non-infected tissue or blood, the nano machinery will break down the organic matter back to the Pennant for healing purposes. The Pennant can only be killed by a direct headshot or destruction of the HIVE box on the chest cavity, but since the box is made of reinforced anti-ballistic material, it is rare for a Pennant to be killed by the destruction of the HIVE box. Another effective way of putting down a Pennant is by flame units such as Flamethrowers. After each successful kill, If an opportunity is present, the Pennant will devour fallen combatants flesh or come in contact (mostly drink) with the combatants blood and increase nano-machine supply allowing them to become faster, and more resilient. It was advised by G-SEC administration that the Pennant to be trained in melee and unarmed combat especially to takedown and devour enemy combatants. If the enemy sustenance is not present and a kind of source is in critical need, the Pennant is allowed to feast on fallen friendly bodies or friendly blood to ensure mission success.